Rock Monsters Romania

As years pass, progressive rock is the one genre of music that doesn’t seem to want to find its home on either side of the musical spectrum. It doesn’t want to fit in your unilateral truth and bow the knee to any standards or account for any expectations.

And this is exactly what White Walls, the Romanian band from Constanta seems to set out to do with their yet unreleased album, “Grandeur” (that will be released on 24th of October): they put their middle fingers up to anything void of real meaning and keep looking for the home that progressive rock rightfully deserves. And they seem to have found it.

Founded in 2009 by pioneers of the romanian prog scene, White Walls demonstrates how seven years after their previous album, “Escape Artist”, their sound has matured and reached a whole new dimension of complexity and personal touch in their upcoming album, “Grandeur”.

Without further ado, I’m going to ask you to just let yourself step into the canvas that this band paints, and become one with it: you’re walking a narrow trail through this other-wordly forest. On one side, the forest seems to be undisturbed, but at the same time eerily calm and nostalgic. Turn your head to the other side of the woods and you’ll find the same forest caught up in a savage storm, seemingly infused with all that is vicious on this earth.
White Walls walks you through this canvas, pointing you towards every detail of this complex labyrinth.

The album kicks off with “False Beliefs”, a powerful song that reaches deep within the listener with its unearthly melodic guitar supported by deep, all-encompassing bass. The track gives you a second to breathe, then throws you into the centre of the storm with a glorious breakdown, fueled by masterful drum playing. The lyrics and vocals are touching and seem to take the form of a protest towards how humanity seems to have departed from nature and righteousness.

“Starfish Crown” is the lead single of the upcoming album, featuring what is definitely one of the most stunning guitar riffs I’ve ever heard. Combined with their touching, dynamic vocals, it’s a feast for both the ears and the eyes, as the music video stars Șerban Pavlu, the lead actor of HBO’s “Umbre” and enjoys great production quality.

Listening to White Walls is an adventure in and of itself. There always seems to be a deeper layer. They always seem to put into music a feeling that up until then you couldn’t describe.

Ultimately, this is a band that truly speaks their mind through their sound. Whether it is through symbolic, expressive lyrics and vocals, or monumental guitar and bass riffs and compelling drum attacks, their voice is stronger than ever, and I can’t wait to see what more they have in store for us.

White Walls is:

– Alexandru-Eduard Dascalu (Dasu) – Guitar
– Eugen Brudaru – Vocals
– Serban-Ionut Georgescu – Bass
– Theo Scriosteanu – Drums

Article by Ioan Necula